It's been tough getting to the media's tattoo news when I'm focused on my own, the upcoming release of my book Black Tattoo Art: Modern Expressions of the Tribal on September 10th. I'll be doing a shameless post soon with more info on the book and how to buy it, but you can actually get a preview of what's in store by picking up this month's Inked Mag and checking out my interview with the godfather of modern tribal tattooing, Leo Zuluetta of Spiral Tattoo (shown above with Rory Keating who is also featured in my book). Here's a taste from that interview:

"I think there's always going to be a stigma to tattooing. Even as accepted as it is today, there's always a stigma, which goes back to deeply rooted church morals in society
(although I have tattooed a Catholic priest twice at Bob Roberts' shop). Modern
society will never accept something too primitive."

I agree with Leo. Just look at some of this week's headlines and see how true it is:

The Dallas Police Department's "no visible tattoos" policy went into effect yesterday. Officers argued that the tattoos actually helped their job when undercover by giving them "street cred" but the Department still said that tattoos can be considered "offensive" when the cops go back on patrol. [As a tattoo snob, I raise my pointy nose at many a bad work, but if I'm in trouble and need a cop, no amount of inexplicable Kanji will ever offend me.]

In Pennsylvania, a State Police recruit is suing the Department because he was told that he had to remove his tattoo in order to be hired. Wow. The government telling candidates to undergo painful laser removal? He's suing under First Amendment arguments and claiming that the Department's tattoo policy is vague and overbroad. This one might win.

In Malmo, Sweden, the nightclub The Swing Inn has a "no tattooed women" policy because they think "tattoos look distasteful." Thankfully, nightclub popularity doesn't even have the trendy staying power of the Kanji tattoo. Look forward to eating at the McDonald's that replaces it soon.

In Canada, a teardrop tattoo may land a Toronto man behind bars for life. The man was acquitted in the shooting death of a rival gang member but now that has been reversed because the Ontario Court of Appeal said that the lower court should not have excluded testimony from a gang expert that the teardrop tattoo signifies that the wearer has killed. This is a bad call. Tattoos symbolism is not a science. Yes, a teardrop could mean the guy killed a rival but it could also mean that he lost a loved one or fellow member. It could even be a dumb attempt to gain street cred. Leave it out of evidence.

While the old favourites -- angels on shoulders, tribal
art on the lower back and Yin-Yang across biceps -- are still popular,
people also design their own art now. Tattoo artists are constantly
asked to come up with unusual concepts. Most people rarely stop at one
tattoo - the city average is, in fact, is about five per person. And,
'conservative' Chennai is reportedly studded with seemingly regular
people with unprintable tattoos across unprintable parts of their
bodies.

"If you come out partying with me, in one evening I can show you ten
people that have tattoos near their genitals, says tattoo artist Tarun
of 'Ink,' adding with a laugh, "And you'll go, 'What! Really? But
he/she seems so normal!"

In Australia, tattoo culture is equally thriving. According to the Herald Sun, "Popularity of tattoos among young Melburnians continues to grow, with a
survey finding 70 per cent of people aged 16-30 are considering getting
one in the next five years." Interestingly, tattoo removal is also on the rise -- "500% in the past two years."